


i am drowning (you are coming down with me)

by andthentheybow



Series: gift works [5]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Clay | Dream-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Deity Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, no beta we die like wilbur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:01:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29739126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andthentheybow/pseuds/andthentheybow
Summary: It started as a role. Dream didn’t plan on actually becoming the villain they always painted him as. But if this is where the show is taking him, then so be it.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Wilbur Soot
Series: gift works [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2170890
Comments: 10
Kudos: 118





	i am drowning (you are coming down with me)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [diapason](https://archiveofourown.org/users/diapason/gifts).



> don't be creepy about content creators, these are my interpretations of their personas, if they're uncomfortable this will be deleted, etc etc
> 
> this one's for diapason- happy birthday ilex my beloved!!!!! <3
> 
> title from "no children" by the mountain goats

It started as a role.

It started as Wilbur and Tommy sitting in a drug van, declaring independence, telling Dream that they would rather die than be part of his world. Fine, then, he can live with that. If they want him to play the villain while they play the heroes, then he’ll play the villain. It’s all a grand show, isn’t it? One that they’re putting on for the Universe’s entertainment?

In the first war, the role of villain remains just that: a role. He tells George and Sapnap that he’s going to be the villain of the story, because that’s what Wilbur and Tommy want.  _ Okay, _ they agree,  _ we’ll stand by your side. We’ll play your henchmen. _ And they do, and they play their roles beautifully. More and more people show up, decide to take sides.

_ I’d like to play the traitor, _ Eret says.  _ I think that would be a fun role. _

The first time Dream realizes it’s more than a show is when he’s running his sword through Wilbur’s gut. Wilbur is smiling. Wilbur’s body hits the ground and he’s still smiling, and he respawns somewhere in L’Manberg and Dream knows that he is smiling.

He screams about white flags, and he gets into the role. Because it’s fun, playing the villain, it’s fun not having to worry about the consequences because you’re the bad guy and you know that you’ll win. He’s having fun with this little game of theirs.

They think they win. But in the end, he’s the one holding the discs, and he’s the one that meets Wilbur’s eyes from across the boundary line separating their two countries. And Wilbur nods at him with a smug smile, and under his mask, Dream is smiling, too.

There. He played the villain. He’s done with this role, this show is over. It’s time for a different show, now, one where he steps back and takes a side role and has some fun with his friends with Tommy and Wilbur run around causing trouble.

The directors have other plans.

_ Dream, _ Wilbur says to him one day.  _ I want you to let Schlatt back in. _

_ Why? _ Dream asks. It’s a valid question. He banned Schlatt for personal reasons- Dream is the god of this world, and Schlatt is like Wilbur and Technoblade and Philza in the sense that he’s too close to a god for comfort.

_ For the election, _ Wilbur replies with a wicked grin.  _ I think he would win. _

And that’s what Wilbur wants, isn’t it? Wilbur wants another chance at playing the hero. So Dream smiles and agrees and he lets Schlatt back in, and then just for the hell of it he lets Technoblade in, too, points him in the direction of Pogtopia and tells him to have fun, play safe. The blood god just smirks.

The first show, act two. Dream decides he doesn’t want to play the villain anymore. It was fun, but reprising that role would just be boring, especially with Schlatt around as the main antagonist. So Dream stands in the wings for a bit, waiting for his grand entrance, and then he stands on a mountain and faces down Techno and he lifts his mask, just for a moment, just so Techno can see the smile on his face.

Halfway through, he gets bored of being the antihero. When Wilbur decides that his character arc is going to be one of madness, Dream decides he’ll encourage it. He gives Wilbur half of the TNT he has stored in one of his many hidden bases and he ignores the betrayed look that Tommy sends his way. Then he goes to Schlatt and makes a deal.

Because he’s the god of this world. He’s the primary antagonist. He’s the one in control.

He contacts Philza. He orchestrates the whole event. Wilbur may be the composer of this great unfinished symphony, but even composers need to report back to someone. Dream is in charge of this theatre; this is his stage. Wilbur dies a villain; Wilbur dies a hero. Schlatt dies and he shakes Dream’s hand on his way out.

_ Stick around a while longer, _ Dream says.  _ I think you might like what I do with the place. _

_ Thinking of redecorating? _ Schlatt asks with a laugh, gesturing to the ruins of Manberg around them. Dream just smiles.

_ Something like that. _

The second show, act one. It ends with Dream seeking out Philza and Technoblade. Together they blow Manberg to bedrock. He told them he would, and he always follows through on his promises. Never once does he think about switching up his role. He likes playing the villain.

The second show, act two. He knows he’ll win this fight, Tommy and Tubbo against him, because no matter what Tommy picks, it’s the end. Dream has too much leverage. He’s planned it this way since the beginning. Attachment is the bane of existence, attachment is what controls everyone around him- he’ll stick Tommy in the prison and he’ll kill Tubbo and then he won’t have to deal with either of them ever again.

And then he stops, standing on his mountain, waiting for the two children to arrive, and he thinks- when did he become the role he was told to play? When did it stop being a role, and start being the core of his personality?

Somewhere, Wilbur’s ghost is laughing. Wilbur is smiling as Dream runs a sword through his stomach in the final control room. Wilbur is smiling as his father slaughters him. Wilbur knew. Wilbur knew all along. Dream liked playing the villain too much to ever give up the role.

  
And Wilbur- it was Wilbur who made him this way. It was Wilbur who originally gave him the role of villain, it was Wilbur who told him that’s what he would play.

_ This is a show, Dream,  _ Wilbur had said, once upon a time.  _ This is our stage. We’re just the actors. _ Only that isn’t true, is it? This isn’t a show. This is real life. Dream is no longer the amused god, playing the parts the silly little mortals give him. Dream is the villain he always told himself he was just playing.

He’s not surprised.

Later, when he’s in the prison, when he’s waiting for the rest of his plan to be carried out, he has plenty of time to think. Things didn’t go wrong- no, things never go wrong for someone like Dream. Things just went a little sideways. And now he’s here, but a new plan is already forming, and for him, everything will be okay. Because it’s always okay when you’re the god, when you’re the one in charge, when you’re the one planning the show.

Maybe he wasn’t the one planning the show in the beginning. The moment he became the true villain was the moment the first show ended, when Philza killed his son, when Wilbur lost his last life. Phil told him that Wilbur went down smiling,  _ it was never meant to be, _ and Dream knows why Wilbur was smiling.

Wilbur’s death cemented Dream’s role. It was at that moment that Dream decided, truly and wholly, that he would be the villain. It was at that moment that Dream thought if this is where the show is taking him, then so be it.

And now, sitting in this prison, left to rot, Dream smiles. Wilbur went down, and he took Dream with him, hand in unlovable hand. This is not a show. This is not a role. Dream is the villain of this story; Wilbur held it in front of him when he first started a revolution, and Dream took the bait. And now?

Now, Dream will be the villain. And he’ll be a damn good villain.

_ Hey, Sapnap, _ he says.  _ Pass on a message to Ranboo for me, will you? _

**Author's Note:**

> [ twitter](https://www.twitter.com/andthentheybow)
> 
> comments/kudos/etc are always appreciated!


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